At the time of writing there are no commercially available tools to allow a drilled well to be fully or partially sealed in open-hole, while drilling, without use of complex electronics, battery-operated devices or wired pipe.
X Drilling Tools produce a tool known as LossMaster™ that comprises a drill-string anchor and packer for sealing between the drill-string and casing but not in open-hole. The tool uses ball-activated slips to anchor the tool to the casing and then uses weight to expand the packer.
Furthermore, external casing packers (ECPs), which expand when filled with cement, are known for isolating zones between a casing and a wellbore during production but not when drilling.
Traditional techniques also do not permit communication with tools/sensors both above and below the seal when set.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide to a method and apparatus for sealing an annulus around a drill-pipe when drilling down-hole, which helps to address the afore-mentioned problems, even if placed above a Measurement While Drilling (MWD) pulser and/or turbine which can provide a pressure measurement from below the packer/sealing element.